For Better Or Worse
by punkrockpancake
Summary: When Sophia moves to the ugliest part of Atlanta, she knows it will change her life forever, but she has no idea how much. With an abusive father her only ray of hope is her best friend Daryl Dixon, the boy from next door. When his older brother Merle returns from prison the three broken teenagers soon built a small dysfunctional family, looking out for each other. Daryl/OC, Pre-ZA
1. A New Life

**Hey guys :) I hope you enjoy reading this is much as I enjoy writing this. This story just somehow popped up in my mind, and as there are so few Pre-ZA stories I thought I'd give it a try.**

**A very big THANK YOU to my awesome Beta-Reader Marissa, who is thedramaticsneeze on tumblr! Go and check out her blog please! You can also check out my blog, givemehopeandtea also on tumblr^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, or the characters I from the show i use in this story (sadly^^) and I make no profit from it!**

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Chapter 1: A new Life

A sudden jolt as our car stopped woke me from my peaceful slumber. I looked out of the window, trying to comprehend that this would be my new home.

Dad, who had been the breadwinner in our household, had recently been fired because he'd turned up at work shit-faced drunk. Therefore, we had to move out of our home and into a small flat in a five-story house in the ugliest part of town. Not that we'd been rich beforehand, but still we were used to more space and, looking at the graffiti-adorned walls, I doubted that I ever could call this place home.  
When I heard my parents beginning to argue outside of the car I snapped out of my thoughts and opened the door, stepping outside. With slow, small steps I walked towards the trunk, averting my eyes from the quarreling adults who stood next to it. As usual, she was blaming him for getting fired and our having to move in consequence. Though she was right, my father shifted the blame towards her, arguing that he needed to drink to bear with her antics. I heaved my bag quietly out of the car, waiting for them to cease and lead the way to our new flat.

The stairway looked just as bad as the house from the outside. Obscenities I did not yet understand were smeared on the walls and the look of abandonment was ever present. Of course, there were present residents but obviously no one cared enough about the hallway to keep it clean.  
Our new home was in the third floor. Heaving from the trek up the stairs, I trotted after my bellowing parents.

"It's not my fault you're an annoying bitch!" my Dad yelled at my Mum and I flinched.

Even though I was only six years old, I knew his words were inappropriate between a man and his wife. My Mum seemed to think so, too, because she stopped dead in her tracks and glared at him.

"Do you really want to do this right now? In front of Sophia?"

Startled, I looked up at my parents as they turned to look at me, my eyes growing wide. Why would they bring me into this? I had nothing to do with their argument. But soon enough, they forgot about me again and continued their arguing without wasting another thought to me. I was not unhappy about this. By now, I'd already grown accustomed to their fighting, even though it hadn't always been like this. It had started a few months ago, without any apparent reason – at least none that I could understand.  
The walk to the end of the corridor, where our home was located, seemed endless but when we finally reached it and Dad unlocked the door, the disappointment fled me. Our old furniture was already there but seemed oddly out of place in the small, dirty apartment.  
As my Mum led me my room she smiled apologetically at me.

"I'm sorry, darling, but that's all we can afford right now."

It was much smaller than my old room, with barely enough space for my bed and my closet. I knew I'd have trouble fitting my toys in properly. I smiled weakly at Mum, knowing that she felt guilty enough as it was. All I wanted was for her to leave so I could unpack my things and try to make myself a home.

Over the next few days, I'd barely left my room, unless my parents called for me. The sharp and unpleasant smell of booze radiated off my father, but I was smart enough to stay quiet and out of his way by now. I either played with my toys or gazed out of my bedroom window, taking in the sight of the suburban streets. I just couldn't force myself to like them.  
After a week, I was forced to go out as I was supposed to start primary school. The evening before my "big day", as my Mum called it, my Dad called me into the living room, where he sat on the couch with a beer in his hand, watching the sports channel. The television was muted when he noticed me, patting the couch beside him. I sat down next to him, looking up at him expectantly.

"I know this week was hard for you, but tomorrow is an important day!" he announced.

I tried to ignore the slur in his speech as he continued.

"I expect you to behave at school, d'ya hear me?"

I nodded and he ruffled my hair. Briefly I looked down on my shoes, before I turned to gaze at my Dad again, who had turned his attention back to the TV.

"But Dad…" I started quietly, "I don't wanna go to school."

He turned back to me again, his brows furrowed in anger.

"Well sometimes you have to do things you don't wanna do. Jus' look at me? D'ya think I wanted to move into this shit-hole? D'ya think I wanted to lose my job?"

Enraged he threw his beer can against the wall and I flinched away, regretting that I had said anything. The man that was staring me down now wasn't the father I'd known anymore. This was a completely different man who frightened me.  
With a growl he pointed his finger at my chest, furious eyes boring into mine.

"You will go to school, d'ya hear? And you'll like it. Now stop whining!"

Tears welled. My Dad had never yelled at me like this before, I wasn't used to it. Of course my parents had punished me when I had done something wrong, but never ever had one of them reacted like this without a reason. All I had wanted was some comfort, Dad telling me that it would be alright, that I didn't have to be afraid of going to school. I was too young at that point to understand that it was the alcohol speaking, too young to understand that he was slowly becoming addicted. I just thought I had done something wrong.

I cried myself to sleep that night for the first time.

Lucky me, I didn't know yet what that man was capable of.

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**The first chapter is a bit short, but I promise the next ones will be longer!**

**I'd be very happy if you leave a review! :)**


	2. A Lasting Impression

**Omg, Sorry that it took so long to upload :O It was finished and ready to be read already, but my Beta was so busy with school and stuff, so it took her a while to proofread it. Please don't be angry at either her or me :) She's still awesome! You can find her under thedramaticsneeze on , Ao3 and tumblr, so please go and check out her stories and her blog!**

**A big thank you to StarsnCyanide, melkS, momoXvolturi, elfgurl1404 and The hunger games 1145 for reviewing/following/favoriting the Story!**

**I hope you enjoy the second Chapter!**

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A lasting Impression

When I was ready to go to school the next morning, my Dad hadn't awoken. I was relieved that I didn't have to face him yet, but I still was nervous as hell because naturally I had no idea what school would be like. I wouldn't know a single soul. All Back when we had lived in our big house in the middle of the city, my mom had always warned me not to go to the suburbs alone and not to play with the kids that lived here. Now I was one of them and I didn't know how I felt about it.

Mom and I stepped out of the door and I gripped her hand tightly. I didn't dare to ask for her support after what had happened last night, afraid that she would react the same way Dad did. I understood that my life had changed and everything would be handled differently from now on I wasn't exactly sure what that meant.

Suddenly, the door next to us opened and two boys stepped out of it. One was around my age, even though he seemed to be a few years older than me, while the other seemed to resonate somewhere in his late teens.

"And you'll go to school regularly, Daryl, or else I'll have to tell Dad 'bout all yer skipping!"

The teenager knelt down in front of his little brother, ruffling through his hair.

"You don' wanna end up like him, do ya? So ya have to make a good degree so you can get the hell outta this town."

Mom frowned at his language as we walked past, but the boy just chuckled darkly and stood up to lift his cap mockingly. The younger brother, presumably Daryl, just looked at me curiously. When we reached the stairs I could hear him say goodbye to his older brother and soon enough he ran after us.

"Yer the new neighbours, aren't ya?" he asked lightly when he'd caught up, looking up at my Mom with a sweet smile at his face. She nodded.

"I'm Daryl. Daryl Dixon," he exclaimed proudly, before looking at me in an expectant manner. "An' you are?"

I fought the urge to hide behind Mom, looking shyly at my feet as I introduced myself. "I'm Sophia." He grinned at my shyness and his eyes wandered over my dress. I had put on the best I owned, wanting to impress on my first day at school. My mom had always told me the first impression was important.

"With that shy attitude and fancy dress o' yers you ain't gonna make it through the day." he asserted after a while, making my mother frown.

We were standing in front of the bus stop and she knelt down so she could face me.

"Don't listen to him, Darling, you look beautiful and nice, just as a little girl should look like."

With that she threw a glance at Daryl and hugged me tight, before taking her leave. I stared after her, wishing she'd stay. I was alone with Daryl, waiting for a bus full of other strange people, which would drive me to a school where even more of them waited for me. In that moment I felt incredibly alone.

The boy just chuckled again, looking at me with a faint smile.

"Well ain't that funny. Y'all have no idea 'bout the life 'ere, have ya?"

I didn't know what to say about that, so I just shook my head. He was right, even though I wasn't sure whether it was clever to giveaway how clueless I was.

Daryl nodded and smirked.

"Well, ya don' have ta worry. I'll look out fer ya! Ain't nobody gonna beat a girl on my watch!"

With a confused frown I looked at him, not sure how I should react to that statement. Still, I was glad that I had found someone who looked out for me. I was saved from the embarrassment by the approaching bus. As we boarded, Daryl pulled me with him to the back row, where some older boys made space for him instantly.

"Lesson one,", he grinned down at me, "The cool kids are always ridin' in the back!"

I just nodded, eager to please him. He was my only friend so far, and I didn't want him to think I didn't appreciate his concern. But still there was one question bugging me now.

"Why did they stand up so we could sit down?" I asked, referring to the teenagers who by now stood near the door of the bus. "They're at least three years older than you…"

Daryl just chuckled.

"They're scared of ma brother, Merle," he answered proudly, "The one you've seen in the hallway. I don' know why, but I don' complain 'bout it."

Well, I could understand that. Merle certainly did look frightening, but their reaction still seemed strange. But I didn't want to annoy my new friend, so I just kept my mouth shut for the rest of the drive, pushing my questions out of my mind.

When I arrived at home again, Daryl walking proudly in front of me, I was actually relieved. He had made my day at school bearable, even though we obviously didn't have any classes together, as I was in the first grade and he was in grade four. But the single fact that I had arrived on school grounds with him seemed to have alerted attention. Some boys in my class had made fun of me for my dress, until one of them got pale and informed his friends that I was "that Dixon girl". As soon as they had gotten that information, they'd ceased teasing me and some even apologized.

The downside of it all was that no one dared to talk to me. When I tried to befriend the girl that was seated next to me she just stared at her desk sternly.

"My ma made me promise to stay away from the Dixons, and you're Daryl's friend, so please leave me alone."

That was all she had to say to that matter.

But the breaks were different. Apparently Daryl had the same problem of finding friends that I had, because he had nothing better to do than wait for me in front of my class room as the bell rang and spent the next 15 minutes teaching me about the social life of the school.

Now we were standing in front of the door to his flat and he smiled at me, gnawing at his thumb.

"See ya tomorrow, I guess."

He gave me a quick nod, before disappearing behind the door. I smiled and unlocked the door to our flat, where Dad was already waiting for me. I flinched as I saw him, anticipating of the confrontation ahead of me. He had a beer in his hands again, a sight that I was almost used to by now and that I knew meant nothing good.

"So how was your day at school, honey?" he asked.

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. All I wanted was to go to my room, get rid of my school-bag and be alone. Maybe go outside and see if there was anyone to play with. But I certainly didn't want to talk to Dad right now.

"It was fine, I guess." I mumbled, looking down at my feet.

"Look at me when I talk to you!"

I looked up at him and he nodded, pleased with either my answer or my reaction to his command, I didn't really know. Neither did I want to know. I just wanted to disappear in that moment. The tension in the room was rising, at least that was the way I felt. I don't think my father noticed it, because he just went on like nothing had ever happened.

"Good. Have ya made any friends?"

I thought about telling him about Daryl for a moment, but I wasn't even sure if we could really be considered friends yet, so I shook my head silently. Dad's smile fell instantly and his pleased expression faded away to make room for a disappointed one.

"Well, I guess that kind of things take time."

He was talking so quiet that I wasn't even sure if he was talking to me, but still I nodded my head, desperately trying to please him. I didn't want him to yell at me again. I noticed Mum wasn't there, which was odd, considering that she didn't have a job. When I asked Dad about it he just answered that she was probably grocery-shopping.

"Or whatever else that crazy-ass bitch wants to do. It's not like I give a fuck."

I gulped and fought down the urge to remind him he shouldn't swear in front of me. But he obviously didn't care about that and instead he took another sip of his beer.

"Don' you have anything else to do than botherin' me?" he asked.

Quickly I nodded and retreated into my room, glad for the opportunity to leave him alone.

But just as I was about to sit on my bed and get my head clear, someone knocked at the door. I just stayed where I was, assuming that it was for my parents anyway. But soon the yell of my father rang through the flat, calling me to the door. As I followed his call, I already knew who was in front of the door – there was really only one person it could possibly be. And sure enough, it was Daryl who waited for me patiently, smiling sweetly whenever my father glared at him.

"Was wonderin' if ya'd be interested in a tour 'round the block? Haven't seen ya outside, so I figured ya might want to get to know this place."

I nodded quickly, eager to get away from my Dad. When my father nodded in approval I hurried to get my shoes on and slipped past him out of the door.

"You bring her back at seven and not a second later, ya hear me?"

Dad shook his finger in front of Daryl's face, but the boy just grinned and saluted with a "Yessir!" before he pulled me down the hallway behind him. My dad's laugh followed us until we were out of sight.

An hour later, Daryl and I were sitting on a wall behind the trash containers, chewing some gum he'd brought with him. He'd given me a quick tour around the block and even introduced me to some other kids. They always greeted him respectfully, even though some of them were already about Merle's age. When I asked him whether they did this, because they were also scared of Merle – just like the kids on the bus – Daryl nodded proudly.

"I dunno what he does, but everybody here's scared of him. Just know, whatever it is, it probably ain't legal."

I looked at him in shock, but Daryl just shrugged it off, as if it was already normal for him. Well for me it wasn't, but I didn't want to make a fool of myself, so I just let it go, acting all casual.

We sat on that wall for a few more hours, talking about this and that, until someone started to yell Daryl's name in the distance. When he heard it, the boy went pale and his lips started to tremble.

"Oh shit." He jumped down on the ground and looked up at me. "I think I have to go home now."

Fear filled his eyes as a dirty, shabby-looking man came into view. The man continued to shout until he spotted Daryl in front of the wall. He stormed towards us and started pulling my friend away from me, back towards the house. Everything went by so fast; I wasn't even on the ground again when they had already reached the door.

"I told ya to be home a' six, Daryl!", the man yelled; his speech slurred "It's half past six now. Can't ya do anythin' right, you little shit, huh? Don't-ya talk back to me, shut yer filthy mouth!"

I was in shock. Apparently the man was Daryl's father. But how could he talk to his son like that? Daryl hadn't really done anything wrong, had he? I wanted to defend Daryl, ask Mr. Dixon why he was so mean to my friend, but when I finally caught up with them Mr. Dixon slammed the door shut, right in front of my face. Confused I went home, trying not to think about what that man would do to Daryl.

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	3. Chocolate

**Hey guys, Here's the third chapter :)**

Thanks to zerogravityganja, kaayrakoi, Taylor Dixon and melkS for reviewing and to everyone else who favourited/followed the story! I am eternally grateful ;)  
**  
I really hope you'll like this chapter! And thanks, too, to my Beta-reader Marissa, who you can find under the name the dramatic sneeze here and on tumblr!**

**Enjoy :)**

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Chocolate

My worst fears came true when I waited for Daryl in the hallway alone, even though my Mom tried to walk me to the bus again. But I had convinced her that I was old enough to walk alone. When Daryl finally came out of his flat, I gasped in shock. His lips were swollen and bleeding while blue, dark stains were visible on his temple and around his eye.

"Did he do this to you?" I asked quietly.

Daryl just looked at the ground and nodded. Then he looked up at me again and a small smile formed on his lips.

"I'm not gonna go to school today. Can't let the teachers see that, or we'll get in trouble. But I'll walk 'ya to the bus stop, if that's alright with 'ya."

I nodded silently and tried to smile. It apparently ended up looking like a grimace, because Daryl scratched the back of his head and patted my shoulder.

"It looks worse than it is. Really, don't worry about me. Just- could ya tell my teacher, Mrs. Hudson, that I'm sick when you see her? Can't really afford more skipping…"

I nodded again and assured him that I would go and talk to her in my break. The thankful look in his eyes nearly broke my heart. I felt helpless. I had never been in contact with domestic violence before. What could I do to help him? I never found out the answer, not even after my own Dad followed Mr. Dixon's example.

I was thinking about it for the whole day, desperately trying to find a way to help my friend, or at least to ease his pain. There was no place in my head for letters or numbers that day, but luckily it was only the second day of school, so nobody really cared. In the second break, when I was sitting alone on a bench in the corner, I had an idea.

~.~

Daryl was sitting alone in his room, reading through a comic book - the only one he owned. Merle had given it to him for his seventh birthday - which was also the only birthday present he'd ever gotten. Daryl missed Merle, especially now, after his Dad had lashed out at him. His big brother had left yesterday to start his military service. That was the only reason his father had even gotten the chance to hurt him: Usually, Merle stopped the old drunken man and took the beatings that were meant for his little brother. And even though Daryl understood why Merle wanted to leave, he felt incredibly alone and betrayed.

But at least there was this new kid now, Sophia. When he'd seen her yesterday he knew that his chance of having a friend had come. She didn't know Merle yet, so she wasn't afraid of him and her parents had not forbidden her yet to play with him. When she walked down the hallway, clinging to her mother's hand and wearing that fancy dress of hers he'd known she wouldn't get through the day without some help.

And he had remembered something Merle used to tell him when he was younger.  
"Dixons always look out fer each other!"

"But Merle, I don' have anybody to look out fer!" he'd answered and his big brother had chuckled.

"Someday you gonna find someone who's worth looking out fer, lil bro!" And with that he'd ruffled through Daryl's hair and left.

And there she was; just as his brother said goodbye to him, his someone came.

Suddenly a knock interrupted his thoughts. Daryl stood up, a look of surprise on his face. There was never someone who wanted to talk to his Dad. When he heard the heavy breathing of his old man, he knew that the drunk had heaved himself of the couch and made his way towards the door.

In that moment it dawned on Daryl that it was probably Sophia who was waiting for him. He dropped the comic and bolted out of his room, stopping his father right in front of the door.

"I'll take care of it!" he said sternly, but calm.

The last thing he wanted was to make the old man angry again. But he was way too drunk to even answer him properly, and just stumbled back into the living room with a grunt. Daryl slipped outside in the meantime, closing the door quietly behind him.

"What d'ya want?" he hissed, leading her down the hallway, as far away from his flat as possible. 'Taking Care' of someone meant to get them away from possible dangers, right?

Sophia just smiled weakly. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay…"

Daryl felt his lips twitching into a smile. Apart from Merle, nobody ever worried about him. He sat down on the stairs and she followed his lead, sitting down next to him.

"Look, I brought you something!" she exclaimed suddenly, after a few seconds of awkward silence, and started rummaging through her bag.

She retrieved a bar of chocolate and handed it over to him. He stared at her in disbelief as he took it. Of course he'd eaten chocolate before, but he never had actually owned one for himself. He broke a small piece of and pushed it in his mouth, relishing the sweet taste that filled his mouth. As he turned to offer Sophia a piece, he saw that she was watching him closely, a satisfied smile on her face.

In that moment he realized that they were stuck with each other, now. Nobody, except for Merle sometimes, had ever cared enough for him to try and cheer him up. And then, when she took a small bite of the bar and smiled at him with chocolate smeared all over her lips, he realized, too, that when you take care of someone, they always take care of you, too, in return, in whatever small way they can.

~.~

From that moment on Daryl and I were inseparable. Merle was gone and Daryl had no one else left but me. Not that I had anyone else but him, either. Even when Daryl went to middle school and we couldn't be together in the breaks anymore, we still saw each other every single day.

Sometimes he even picked me up after school, and I didn't say anything against it, even though I knew he should still be in his lessons. On one of these occasions he took me to a fast-food-restaurant and bought a kids menu for us. I'd never eaten fast-food before: My mum had always told me that it was too unhealthy to eat there before we moved and now we never went out for dinner anymore.

My first burger was delicious. The taste exploded in my mouth and I grinned widely up at Daryl, who just laughed at my delirious expression.

"I still can't believe you've never eaten here before!" he exclaimed. "My ma always used to take me n' Merle out for Dinner here when we had no food left at home..." He trailed off and took a bite from his burger with a sad smile. "But ya face tells me ya like it."

I nodded wildly and grinned. "It's the most delicious thing I ever ate!"

That was, of course, an exaggeration, but I wanted to cheer him up and lead the conversation away from his mother, who I knew had died four or five years ago when Daryl and his family had still lived in the mountains of Georgia.

When we headed home after that we decided we'd meet up again in an hour, to give me some time to do my homework. Not that I really did them, but at least I tried, unlike him. I unlocked the door and stepped inside our flat. My Mum had started to work at a gas station which was the reason why I was alone with Dad often. By now I'd gotten used to being yelled at, but I still was uncomfortable around him.

"Where've ya been? Lessons ended two hours ago!"

His drunken slur echoed through the room and I stopped dead in my tracks. As long as ya keep your mouth shut, nothin' will happen to ya. I thought, as he stumbled out of the living room and glared down at me.

"What? Have ya eaten yer tongue, or what?"

I gulped and dropped my bag in a corner, carefully trying to avoid his glare. There's no way to phrase this more nicely: He scared me out of my mind.

"I've been out with Daryl…" I finally whispered, but he interrupted me as soon as he heard my best friend's name.

"Daryl? That hillbilly from next door?" he started pulling me into the living room. "Ya know I can't stand that lil' shit! And I've told ya a hundred times that I want ya home right after school!"

He started to yell now, his spit hitting my face as he leaned closer to me.

"You're such a pain in the ass, girl! Never do what you're told!"

"I'm sorry, Dad." I mumbled, looking at the floor.

I knew that I had to try not to provoke him. Normally, avoiding his gaze and apologizing helped, but today it seemed like he didn't want to calm down. He probably was in a really bad mood again and needed somebody to let it out on. And as there was only one person around…

"I told ya a hundred times, look at me when ya talk!" he growled and I looked up at him immediately.

It was always better to follow his demands.

"God, since you started to hang out with that redneck boy yer manners've gotten worse n' worse!"

He started down, right into my eyes, and I could see something glittering in his eyes that I couldn't place. But I didn't like it.

"Sometimes I think…. Maybe all ya need is a lesson…"

His voice was quieter now, but there was a new edge in it, that frightened me. I began to protest.

"No, Dad, Please don't! I'll be nice!"

My voice was high-pitched, now and I was panicking inside. I didn't know why he scared me so much, all I knew was, that I needed to get away from him immediately. But at the same time, I was too scared to move.  
Suddenly a loud snap echoed through the flat and as my cheek started to burn I realized that he had slapped me. I stared at him in disbelief. This had never happened before. On the contrary, before he started to drink he had always insisted on how bad abusing children was. And in that moment I realized that my real father wasn't there anymore. I realized that the alcohol had won and that I was living with a person that I didn't know - and didn't want to know, for that matter.

"What ya looking at, huh?" the man screamed and I flinched as he raised his arm again.

~.~

An hour later Daryl was waiting on their usual meeting place, the wall they had sat on the day they met. It had become their own small little territory; a place where they could talk freely, without fearing one of their fathers might hear them. But today, something was different. Sophia was late. That was something that rarely happened, because both of them were always eager to get away from their home as quickly as possible, which often resulted in them being early.

Suddenly he could hear the back door of the house slamming shut and Sophia appeared on the other side of the meadow. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at her and he realized that something was wrong. Her usually elastic steps were heavier; she even seemed as if she was hobbling a bit. She walked too slowly...

And as she came closer he knew why. With a gasp he jumped off the wall and ran towards his friend. When he finally reached her his suspicion was confirmed: Her eyes and her jawline were swollen and covered in dark-red stains, while blood was slowly trickling out of her nose. He didn't ask her what happened. He knew it well enough. And she knew that he knew, so there was no sense in avoiding the topic. But before he could say something she spoke up.

"It hurts, Daryl."

Her voice sounded so scared and she spoke so quietly, that it made his stomach twitch inside. He didn't want her to hurt. She didn't deserve this - nobody did. He felt red, hot anger rising up inside him and he clenched his fists as he asked the most important question.

"Why did he do this to ya?"

She looked up at him with big, confused eyes and he could see that she had tears in her eyes. It broke his heart. She seemed so innocent, so young… Beating her up like that had to be the work of the devil! Hell, she was only eight, and she was a girl, and she was so small…

"You tell me…" She answered. "He always used to say that beating children is disgusting… what is happening to him, Daryl?"

She sounded so sad and so lost. And, what made it all even more horrible for him, Daryl knew exactly how she felt. But he also knew that he couldn't answer her questions. He didn't know the answers to them, and even if he would, it wasn't his place to answer them. He had no right to do this to her. But he knew what he could do for her.

"C'mon," he said, flinging his arm around her shoulder carefully, "We're going to get ya some chocolate, okay?"

~.~

Somehow over the years giving chocolate to each other had become a ritual to comfort the other one to us. I bought Daryl chocolate whenever his Dad beat him, when Merle called to tell them he had to go to the military prison, or when Merle was released a few months later, but didn't return to Daryl. I got chocolate, too, whenever my Dad decided it was time to teach me a lesson again and when my parents divorced, or when my Mum decided that she wouldn't take me with her. Not that I wanted to leave, anyway. Of course I wanted to get away from my Dad, but that would also mean to leave Daryl behind and that just didn't seem fair to me. And I also had the feeling that I wouldn't really want to live without him anymore.

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**Soo, what do you think? :) I'd really like to hear your opinion on this chapter, even if you didn't like it at all!**


	4. Merle

Soo, here's the fourth chapter :) I'm really excited for your reaction, because I really love Merle and I wonder if I did okay with writing him :)  
A very big thank you and a hug to momoXvolturi, melkS, LampPostInWinter, buddy6o, and Cattra1992 for reviewing, and to anybody else who followed/favourited! All of you made my day, especially momoXvolturi!  
Thanks again to my awesome beta-reader Marissa, who worked really fast this time ;) She can be found as thedramaticsneeze on tumblr and fanfiction net :)

If you like my story, please go check out my blog givemehopeandtea on tumblr

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Chapter 4

When Merle finally decided that it was time for him to come home again, Daryl wasn't there. He and his Dad had gone on a hunting trip, just like every other weekend since Daryl had turned twelve. By now, of course, he was fourteen and a very good hunter, especially with a crossbow. He'd asked me to tag along, but. I liked animals, and, even though I also liked eating them, I didn't want to see them getting killed. His Dad thought I was too young, anyway.

So I sat in my room all day, staring out of the window, taking in the dull, suburban landscape. Without Daryl close to me I had no idea what to do, and I was bored. My Dad had been bored, too, which had been the cause for my black eye. By now, he was passed out on the couch with drool dripping out of his mouth, so I didn't have to worry about him anymore. I grimace. Really, how was I supposed to respect a wreck like that?

As I gazed outside I suddenly caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure that was walking towards our house, but I couldn't remember where I'd seen the man before. He was young, only in his early twenties and had brown hair that was sticking out from his head. His movements seemed well-known to me, but I couldn't place my finger on where I knew them from… until Daryl's face suddenly appeared in front of my inner eye. Suddenly I knew who this stranger was: Merle had finally decided to pay his family a visit.

Excitedly I slipped out of my room and, after checking whether my father was still out cold, left our apartment. Merle was already there, knocking loudly at the Dixon's door

"Hell, Daryl! It's Merle! Open the goddamn door, boy!"

I cleared my throat and he turned around.

"What?"

"Daryl's not here. He n' your dad went huntin'" I informed him, mustering his form. "So, you're Merle, huh?"

A grin spread across his face as he nodded. "And you must be lil' Sophia. Daryl told me bout ya, on the phone."

I smiled and nodded, but then I remembered how hurt Daryl was when his big brother disappeared and anger rose in my chest.

"Why did you decide to come back now?" I asked with a frown, wincing at the pain the movement caused in my swollen eye.

His grin disappeared and he glared at me. "Why wouldn't I?"

The ignorance towards Daryl's pain angered me even more and I stepped closer to him, pushing my finger into his chest. In retrospect that looked probably very ridiculous, seeing that I was only about 4 feet tall and he towered over me like a giant.

"You weren't there when he needed you the most!"

He stared at me and I could see the confusion in his eyes. At least he was really thinking about what I'd said. By the way Daryl had described him to me, I had expected him to lash out at me, but he just looked a bit hurt.

"Tha hell ya talking about?"

I shook my head, giving him a disapproving look.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Merle."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth his eyes got harder and he glared at the door that separated us from the Dixon's flat. He shook his head and stepped back, before letting out some kind of guttural sound. It seemed like I had hit a soft spot, and for a split second I thought that maybe he'd start to cry and I wanted to hug him badly. But the moment was over soon, and instead the grin reappeared on his face.

"I can see why Daryl likes ya now. Ya got spunk, really!"

With that he turned around, leaving a confused me behind. Well, Merle was certainly one of a kind.

An evening later, when Daryl was finally back from his hunting trip, he excitedly knocked at my door.

"Merle's back! He invited us to go to dinner with him."

I frowned at that information. "Us? Why did he invite me?"

Daryl shrugged.

"Told me ya guys met yesterday on the corridor. Said he likes ya. Also I would've taken you with me anyways." He smiled sweetly. "He's taking us to eat some Burgers, and I know how much you love them."

I couldn't help but smile at that statement, but internally I was wondering why Merle told Daryl he liked me. Maybe his last words yesterday had been true: He probably admired that I was brave enough to hold him accountable for his mistakes. He obviously wasn't used to that, because usually everybody was afraid of him.

Later that evening Merle and Daryl picked me up at home. I would've told them to wait outside for me but my Dad had gone on a blender and hadn't returned yet, and therefore I could do what I wanted to do. For me that was a new kind of freedom: I didn't have to be careful, controlling every movement and word, worried that I might anger my father. I didn't have to be afraid anymore. Of course I knew that this newfound freedom was only temporary. Sooner or later he would be back, but until then I planned on enjoying his absence to the fullest.

I think Merle was surprised to see my choice of clothing. The last - and only - time he'd seen me before our encounter yesterday I'd been dressed in my best dress for my first day at school. But now I had abandoned all my dresses years ago, realizing that in my new life, pretty dresses would only mean trouble for me. So now, figuring that we'd only go to grab some burgers anyway, I was wearing my normal clothes.

"I see, you've changed for the better!" Merle commented, his trade-mark grin appearing on his face.

I just shrugged and flashed him a smile, stepping a bit closer to Daryl.

Surprisingly, Merle owned a car. It wasn't a big one, but I liked it the moment I laid eyes on it. It was a light blue pick-up truck, and, even though it was a bit rusty, it looked like it could withstand any accident that would come its way. In some sense it was the perfect car for a Dixon.

While Daryl and I climbed into the back seat - or, to be honest, I climbed and Daryl just hopped inside - Merle already started the engine and grinned at us through the rearview mirror.

~.~

At the restaurant Merle let the kids order all the food. It wasn't like it mattered what they ate there; everything was fast-food crap and probably not what it should be anyway. Both, the girl and Daryl, seemed to be very eager to order as much as possible, and he noticed the way they stuffed in the food as soon as it arrived. He knew the look in their eyes as they ate the burger. He'd been at that point himself, being not properly fed by his father and having to look for his food by himself. When he still lived with his family, he always made sure that Daryl had enough to eat, too, but now that the boy was alone with their drunken father he should've known that he wasn't treated as a child should be treated. But he had tried, telling their father to take good care of his little brother. He remembered the look in the old man's eyes as if it had been yesterday, but it had been nearly four years ago.

_He shook the old man, screaming in his face, but it did not much good. His father was nearly unconscious from all the alcohol he drank tonight. But Merle had to talk to him, had to make sure that his little brother would have a better life than he did, even if he was not there to protect him anymore. _

_"D'ya hear me?" _

_There was no reaction, except for a slurred grunt, that could've just as well been let out accidentally and not to acknowledge the presence of his son .Merle groaned and shook him again, but still it was no use. He sighed and raised his hand, slapping his father as hardly as he dared to. He needed him awake, but not raging with fury. And even though it hadn't been a very strong slap, it finally had an effect on the old man. His eyes seemed to focus on his son's face. _

_"Whaddaya want?" he prattled, his speech slurred by the alcohol. _

_"I'm leavin' t'morrow." Merle stated simply, knowing that he didn't have a lot of time. "An' ya need to take care of Daryl on yer own then, understood?" _

_The old man nodded, but his eyes drifted away already again. This was Merle's last chance. He needed to make his point clear. With a desperate growl he grabbed his father's collar, pulling his face closer to him. _

_"If ya hurt him, I swear to God, I'll kill ya. An' it will be slow and painful. A'right? Don't ya dare to hurt my lil' brother, ol' man!"_

He didn't listen to him, obviously. Hopefully the old man just left Daryl alone to fend for himself. If he should ever find out that bastard had laid a hand on his little brother… Well, let's just say, Merle wasn't one to break his promises. But he didn't dare to ask. Not in front of the girl, at least, even though she seemed to suffer under her Dad, too. He could tell that from the black eye she had the day before.

Merle couldn't really understand how a father could beat his daughter. To him, even though his father used to beat the crap out of him regularly, it seemed like beating a girl was even worse than beating a boy. Hell, at least he had the strength to punch back.

"So, what d'ya do know? Where d'ya live?" Daryl asked, biting into his burger eagerly.

Damn the boy had grown since he last saw him.

"Live on tha other side of Pittsburgh now." He hesitated for a moment, wondering how much he should tell him. "And I make ma own money. Workin' as a mechanic."

That was only half of the truth. Well, he worked in a bike-store as a mechanic, but that was not the main source of his money. No, most of his money was earned by stealing, breaking into houses and dealing with drugs. Not that he would ever touch them himself; he just delivered them and took the money. Junkies were a very reliable source for dollars, really. Probably because they had no other choice than paying or going on turkey. But they were despicable, the scum of this society. Couldn't deal with their problems and had to bemuse their brains with drugs to make up for it.

But he couldn't exactly tell that to his brother, right? He had to be a good example for him, if that was still possible. At least as good as he could manage to be.

~.~

There was something about Merle that irritated me a bit, even though he seemed to be a nice guy. But he radiated anger, like other men sweat. It seemed to be a constant part of his personality, but he never acted like he was angry. It was strange.

"An' what are ya two doin' in yer free time?" he asked suddenly, interrupting my thought.

"Mostly just hanging out." I answered, while Daryl was just chewing his burger and nodding.

"Yer still in elementary school, are ya?"

I nodded and swallowed a fry before answering.

"Yeah, but I'm in fifth grade, now. Next year I'll go to middle school."

Merle grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I see, we're all grown-up already."

"Oh shut up, Merle." Daryl chimed in "Leave her alone."

In the first moment I felt like I should say something to defend myself, but after Daryl's comment the two brothers had soon forgotten about me. They were too occupied with their little argument. Not that that was a bad thing, that way I had more time to eat my food. It was actually pretty relaxing to just listen to the boy's banter. And I had something tasty too eat, so I couldn't really complain anyway. But it felt nice, as if they were my brothers, too. Of course, I considered Daryl my family, but I'd never really thought about Merle before he appeared on Daryl's doorstep two days ago, and even then I would've never thought of him as a brother. And I didn't do so now, but still… there was a sense of home.

But of course this new found harmony, that reminded me of the television-shows I sometimes watched, didn't last for long. It ended with a long bang at the other end of the room that caught my attention: My father swayed next to a turned table. With a squeal I tried to hide under our table, but it was too late. Something about us had caught his eye. He staggered towards us and slurred something incomprehensible, raising his arms in a gesture of aggression.

"That yer Dad?" Merle asked, turning back to me and raising an eyebrow.

He and Daryl had stopped their arguing a while ago, and apparently turned to stare at my father for a while. I gulped and nodded. Just in that moment my old man reached the table and grabbed my arm.

"I didn't allow ya t' leave tha house! Wha' are ya doin' out here? Never do anythin' right, can ya? Ya stupid…"

That was when Merle seemed to have heard enough: He banged his fist on the table and jumped up, stepping between me and him.

"What a man are ya, yellin' at a lil' girl like that, huh? Beatin' her up, too, amiright? Why donty 'ya pick on someone yer size?"

My father stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Merle in surprise.

"An' who are ya, tellin' me what to do wi' ma daughter? T's none of yer goddamn b'sness!"

He tried to shove the younger man away, but Merle was way stronger and taller than he was.

"I made it ma b'sness!" he stated, pushing my father away from him.

"Why d'ya even care 'bout this skank? She's a useless piece o' shit, that one! Good fer nothin'!"

He went on like this for a while and I felt my eyes filling with tears. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction to see me cry, I'd sworn that to myself. And normally when he insulted me I didn't, but now that he did it in front of my friends… I just couldn't hold it in any longer. Daryl took one look at me and pulled me away, leading me further into the back of the restaurant.

We could still see Merle and my father, who struggled to get past Daryl's brother, but it was no use. Merle successfully held him back. They were yelling at each other, but I doubted that they heard what the other one was saying. I took all that in, but I didn't really realize it. All I could see was the grimacing face of my father, and I felt that icy cold fear again, the fear that I thought I'd be safe from for at least a few more days. But somehow, despite the fear, I couldn't avert my eyes from his face. I was staring at him like a deer would stare into the headlights of the car that is about to hit it. I was paralyzed, until Daryl suddenly stepped into my vision.

"He can't hurt ya right now, okay? We won't let him!"

I looked up at him with big eyes, my lips trembling. With a sigh he gripped my shoulder tightly, trying to reassure me.

"You're safe for now, okay? I promise."

I lowered my head and nodded. "'kay."

He sighed again.

"What an asshole."

I smiled and looked up at him again.

"But yours is, too. And you can also live with him, so don't worry about me."

He smiled back at me.

"That's the spirit. An' Merle'll change that! We won't have t'live with it anymore!"

His optimism made me feel better, even though I know now that he wasn't right, at least not for two more years. But Merle did everything he could at that point, I have to give him credit for that. He kept our fathers in line as far as possible. But in that moment this spark of hope was what it took for me to pull myself together again and so I smiled, wiping my tears away with my sleeve.

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Hmh :) What do you think? Was Merle written okay?  
I'd be overly happy if you reviewed ;)


	5. Some Kind of Family

**Hey guys! I know you had to wait very long, but my beta-reader didn't answer me anymore and I waited for a long time, until I decided to try it without her... Which means you have to look out for any mistakes or anything and let me know what I do wrong ;) **

**Anyway, some Merle-lovin' in this chapter.. I hope you enjoy it!**

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The next day after school, Merle and Daryl were waiting for me in front of the entrance, leaning against the car and sharing a cigarette. The day before they had escorted me home, and my father, even though he still insulted me, had been too scared of Merle to hit me. Of course he'd threatened to do so as soon as Merle was gone again, but I was optimistic that wouldn't happen too soon.

"Since when do you smoke?" I asked Daryl as I reached the brothers, but he just shrugged and inhaled.

"Want one, too?" Merle asked.

Daryl glared and stepped away from the car.

"Are ya stupid? She's only ten!"

Merle shrugged, but put his pack back in his pocket. Daryl threw the filter away and smiled, opening the door for me, so I could get into the car. I blinked at him in confusion as I entered.

"Where are we going?"

The brothers grinned at each other and shrugged.

"Just cruisin' around."

I'd never done that before, but it sounded exciting to me. Especially because it was a new way of spending my free time. Usually, Daryl and I hung out in the park, in our backyard or in the fast-food restaurant, when it was rainy. I wouldn't say that my life was boring, but every new way to spend my afternoons was a new way to defy my father.  
Over the next few days 'just cruising´ around' got my new routine. Merle and I actually got quite close rather quickly, despite my previous anger at him for abandoning Daryl. It had really surprised me that he stood up for me against my father and I was really grateful for that. And he continued to watch out for me and Daryl. He always escorted us home and practically delivered us to the doorstep, just to make sure our fathers knew he was still there. For the first few weeks that worked out very well, but soon the fear of Merle had worn of and both Daryl and I appeared to school with bruises again. Merle was raging, but there was nothing he could do about it, really, without taking away the only persons who were responsible for us, and by that, making our situation worse.  
One thing Merle did accomplish, though, was that Daryl went to school regularly again, instead of just skipping the whole day or hanging out with me during his afternoon lessons. That led to me and Merle spending more time alone, while waiting for Daryl to show up from school, even though I couldn't understand why a 24 year old guy would willingly spend his free time with a ten year old girl. My guess was that by taking care of me, Daryl's best friend, he tried to make up for his absence during the last four years.  
During our time together I got to know him quite well. I even found out how he really earned his money – it seemed that he'd given up his job at the bike shop so he could take care of me and Daryl better.  
When we waited for Daryl, we usually just drove around in Merle's car, stopping occasionally to grab something to eat or something. But one day, Merle just started delivering mysterious packages to strangers, without giving me a reason for this change of routine.

"What's inside?" I asked curiously, tipping against one of the packages with my index finger.

It felt soft, and my finger left a little spot in the black plastic wrap.

"Don't touch it!" Merle growled, turning to glare at me.

"What's inside?" I repeated, determined to find out the answer.

"Grown-up stuff, lil' one. None of yer b'sness."

That was the only thing I could get out of him. How unsatisfying. I kept on boring my index finger into one package and suddenly it ripped open, white powder pouring out of it. Startled I pulled my finger back and looked guiltily up to Merle, who was swearing by now.

"I told ya not to touch it!" His hands gripped the wheels tighter. "Dammnit, now I've gotta wrap it again. DON'T YA LICK AT YOUR FINGER!"

I had noticed some of the powder stuck on my finger and held it curiously in front of my face, examining it. It looked a bit like flour, though you could also tell that it wasn't. Also, Merle wouldn't make such a secret out of bags of flour, would he? I startled as Merle's yelling broke me out of my thoughts and put the finger down.

"Gimme your finger" Merle said grudgingly, sighing loudly.

He took out a dirty napkin from one of his pocket and wiped my finger with it, before putting it back into his pocket.

"Don't put it in yer mouth b'fore ya wash yer hands!"

His voice sounded weary by now; as if he knew that he couldn't avoid my questions anymore.

"What is that stuff?" I asked again, new curiosity in my voice.

He sighed. "What d'ya think it is?"

"Well, it looks like flour, but it isn't, right?" I smiled proudly at my deduction as he nodded.

"What is it then? Just tell me; you know I won't stop annoying you 'till you do!"

He sighed and grinned.

"That's true. Ya can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, lil' one."

I grinned back at him and folded my arms.

"So?"

Merle looked out of the window, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. Should he tell her or shouldn't he? Of course, the answer was that he shouldn't. You should never tell a ten year old that you're dealing with heroine. Delivering it while Sophia was in his car had been a stupid idea in hindsight. He'd underestimated her curiosity and he'd been already behind on the deliveries. So he'd thought: why the hell not? As long as she – or worse, Daryl – wouldn't find out about it, it was cool. But he knew she'd tell Daryl about this, especially if he didn't give her a satisfying answer.

"Okay, look. I'll tell ya. Just promise ya won't tell ma brother, okay?"

She nodded eager to find out his big secret. Merle sighed.

"Ever heard 'bout Heroine?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah, we learned 'bout it in school… It's a drug, right? So that's what's in the bags, right?"

Merle nodded and sighed.

"Don't tell Daryl, okay?"

Sophia nodded. "Okay."

That was all she had to say about the matter. Merle threw her an irritated glance. Children were so strange sometimes. But they were cute; he actually liked having her around. But of course he'd never tell anyone.

"So that's all? Ya find out I deal drugs, and all ya say's 'kay?"

She shrugged.

"Why not? I mean, you're not taking them, right?"

Merle shook his head.

"'course not! That's jus' stupid. Have ya taken a look at tha people that took'em? They look like livin' skeletons! It's just pathetic. Don't ya ever take'em!"

He should probably still try to be a good example, even though his words just sounded hypocritical now, even to him. But they were true. He never took any drugs. In fact, he looked down on the people he sold them to, but they were good for making money. Druggies never complained about the prize: They were willing to pay anything just to get their next trip. It was actually sad… Not that he cared about that, though.

I noticed that Merle was irritated by my lack of reaction, and I could understand him. Who'd expect a ten year old to react so relaxed to the revelation that her big idol sells drugs? Because that was what Merle was to me, ever since he'd stood up against my father. He'd been the only one except for Daryl to ever even care enough to protect me and I'd never forget that. Ever. Not even my teachers or my doctor had ever asked about the regular bruises I had, and Merle hadn't even asked – he just jumped right into action. And even if selling drugs was something that would've shocked me only a few years ago, by now there was nothing that could change my opinion on him anyway. In my eyes, he was like my knight in shining armor; my savior. Who cared whether he did evil things, as long as he was a good person?  
So, without noticing it, Merle Dixon had become something like a father to me – in a time, where I desperately needed an adult to look up to. He was not the best choice, objectively seen, but the only one I could choose. And I don't regret it, not even now.

We stopped at a red light and Merle swore loudly as he noticed a police-car approaching from behind. With fast motions he wiped the bags from our seats and the backseats, so that they all lay on the floor, invisible if the cops decided to look through our window.

"Those fuckers are everywhere!" he complained, looking nervously in the rearview-mirror. "And they love controllin' us southerners – they get off on it! Especially when they notice I've been to prison b'fore!"

When the light turned green again he sighed in relief, driving away as close to the speed limit as he dared to. I watched as the cops turned into another street behind us and fiddled with my hands. They made me nervous, too.

"Wha's wrong?" Merle asked, glancing down at me.

"I don't want you to go away to prison again." I admitted quietly.

Merle grinned and ruffled through my hair with one hand, eyes darting back and forth between me and the road.

"Don' worry, I won't. I won't leave ya two again, I promise."

He cleared his throat and focused on driving again, his knuckles gripping the wheel tightly.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked it, even though it was a bit short... Please review anyway... also a big thanks to everyone that reviewed so far. I love all of you guys 3**


	6. Birthday Party

**As I didn't update for a long time before Chapter 5, here's the next Chapter now :) I hope you enjoy, and I'd like to hear from you guys! **

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Time went by and when I was twelve I changed to middle school, to the same that Daryl was on. We hung out in the breaks again, and everything was just as it had been in elementary school, only that this time we actually had a group of friends: We were the outsiders, the misfits of the school. There was Jax, who was a motorcycle freak, Dean and Rose, two twins who loved to blaze loud rock music through portable speakers in their breaks, and then there was James, who always ran around in leather stuff and grew his hair out. So in fact, we were the people no one else got along with. All of them were a bit older than me, but no one seemed to care about that, as long as Daryl thought I was okay. And after half a year or something, I was part of that group and they respected me as an individual, not just Daryl's little friend.

Daryl's 16th Birthday came around and he got a special gift from Merle; it was one he loved, but that I hated more than anything: Merle rented a bigger flat and invited his little brother to live with him. Of course I was happy for him. How couldn't I be? His suffering had an end; he finally got away from his Dad. But now I was suffering alone under my own and I was scared. I wouldn't be able to make it without my best friend.  
Nonetheless Daryl moved in with Merle and they threw a party – without a doubt Merle's idea. Me, Jax and James stood in front of their door, waiting for the brothers to let us in. I was a bit nervous, as I'd never been to a party before – and of course because my father had no idea where I was. If he came home and I wasn't there, I'd be in deep shit – but I doubted he'd come home that night. The buzzer went off and James pushed the door open.

"D'ya know which floor they live on?"

Jax and I shrugged, but in exactly that moment loud music blared through the hall and I grinned.

"I don't think we'll have a problem to find them."

Merle opened the door with a big grin, already drunk.

"Welcome my lil' friends!" He greeted, stepping aside to let us in.

Jax and James, who only knew him from when he picked me and Daryl up after school, looked at him with irritation in their eyes. I just grinned and hugged him tightly – something that was only possible when he wasn't sober anymore. He chuckled and returned the embrace, before stepping back and looking the three of us up and down.

"Ya guys are way too sober!" he concluded after a while.

With a big grin he shoved the bottle of whiskey he was holding into James hands, who just shrugged and downed an enormous gulp of the golden liquor. Merle regarded him with approving eyes, before he threw his arms around the boys' shoulders.

"I like yer spirit…"

I trotted after them towards the living room, hoping that was where Daryl was hiding.

Two hours later I was sitting on the couch, talking to James. I had my fair share of the now empty whiskey bottle and by now I was pretty drunk – for the first time in my life.

"… and then Mr. Porter fell over, right on his ass!"

I laughed.

"I wish I could've seen his face!"

James was the closest to my age in our group – he was only two years older than me, after all – and we got along quite well.

He grinned. "It was awesome! Maybe I'll do it again, just so you can see it."

We laughed loudly and Daryl, who stood at the other end of the room with Dean and Rose, stared at us with a frown. I waved at him with a smile and turned to James again.

"I'd love to see it!"

"Then I'll definitely do it!"

He smiled and I sipped on my beer, when suddenly the room started spinning around me.

"Whoops."

I swayed and James grabbed my shoulder, steadying me.

"Easy there, tiger! I think you should stop drinking for tonight."

I started to giggle and shoved my beer in his hand.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Suddenly the sound of someone clearing his throat interrupted our conversation, and we both turned our heads, slightly startled. To my delight the source of the noise turned out to be Daryl, and I greeted him with a big smile and a slightly slurred Hello. James, at the other hand, didn't seem to be too happy to discover my best friend so close to us, but that might've been because he was the target of one of Daryl's death glares.

"Did you let her drink?" he asked disapprovingly and I sighed.

"Don' be angry, Daryl."

The younger Dixon chose to ignore my comment and instead continued to glare at James, who shrunk deeper into the couch and took his hand off of my shoulder. Their staring contest continued for a while, until the younger one gave up and shook his head with a sigh.

"She was already drinking when I started talking to her, so I figured it was alright."

"I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions." I added, but my head was too dizzy to really concentrate on the argument.

Daryl turned to me now and shook his head with a frown.

"Nah, you're not. You're only twelve."

I sighed and hung my head, the annoyance and anger in his voice radiating through my bones. I didn't want him to be angry at me, not ever, and my drunken mind made things worse. Suddenly I started to sob quietly, feeling overwhelmed by everything: Him moving in with Merle and leaving me alone, Him being angry at me; the whole situation seemed worse than it actually was, but that was what the booze did to my brain. Both, Daryl and James, looked at me with irritated looks, until my best friend sighed and kneeled down in front of the couch, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm not angry at ya, Sophia. I'm angry at whoever gave ya somethin' to drink." He shot another glare at James. "Stop cryin' now, 'kay?"

I looked up at him with red eyes and nodded, rubbing the tears out of my eyes with the back of my hand. Suddenly I felt unbelievably tired, and the dizziness also didn't help me feel more comfortable. Luckily Daryl seemed to be able to read my mind – or probably just my facial expression –, as he nudged my shoulder softly.

"Ya better get some sleep now. It'll be better in tha mornin'."

~.~

Daryl was glad that Merle wasn't around in that moment. His big brother could never understand why he felt so protective over Sophia, and he'd tease him for cheering her up like this. He could almost hear his voice inside his head, telling him to man up and not behave like a pussy. Not that Merle wasn't protective over the girl – on the contrary, he even seemed to have accepted her as a little sister – but they just had different opinions on what was good for a twelve year old kid.

Seeing the confusion and emotional turmoil in Sophia's face he sighed and carefully helped her to get off the couch. She swayed strongly, holding on to him with both her arms, so she wouldn't trip. He guided her towards his bedroom, but not without sending a last angry look towards James. This wasn't supposed to happen: She was only a kid; she should be doing kid stuff, not getting drunk on a party. Hell, he'd started drinking around the same age, so he shouldn't be complaining, but he'd sworn to himself that her childhood would be more normal than his. He wanted to protect her as much as he could, and even though he knew he could only do so much he was angry at himself for letting this happen.

When they finally made it to his bed she nearly fell into it, instantly cuddling herself into his pillows. He looked down at her and couldn't fight the smile on his face, again being glad that Merle wasn't around to watch his sentiment.

"Good night." He whispered and turned around, walking towards the door, when she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"The room's spinning…" She whined and when he turned around he could see how scared she looked.

Of course she was confused. This was her first time being drunk! In that moment he could've slapped himself for his naivety, but instead he just sat down on the edge of his bed, unsure what to do. The only thing he knew was that he couldn't leave her alone in this state. She scooted closer to him and at first he was uncomfortable with how close they were, but then he reminded himself of all the things they'd lived through together. They were best friends since 6 years, and in that time she'd done more for him than anybody else he knew, including Merle. At that thought he relaxed and allowed her to cuddle up against him. She let out a content sigh and murmured gratefully.

~.~

As I cuddled up against Daryl I felt how the dizziness got replaced by a deep tiredness. My bones got heavier and my eyelids felt heavy. I knew that he had a hard time letting anyone touch him, and therefore I was even more grateful for his support. It meant a lot, and I knew it was his way of showing his affection towards me. His presence made me feel more comfortable and slowly I drifted away, my body huddled against his lap.

When I woke up the next morning it felt like a hammer was pounding against my skull repeatedly and I let out a loud groan. I felt something stir next to me and when I opened my eyes I saw Daryl's form huddled up against me, his arm lying heavily on my upper body. Despite my headache this sight made me smile. The aching of my body distracted me, though, and soon I realized that I probably was hung-over. With another groan I decided to try my luck and search for some pain-killers, and as I heard somebody making noise in the kitchen I slipped out of Daryl's embrace. It took me some time to steady myself, but after a few moments I finally managed to crawl out of the bed and left the room, hoping that I hadn't woken Daryl up.

The noise from the kitchen stopped as I closed the door behind me, and Merle peered into the living room, grinning at my pained face.

"Ya got a hangover?" He asked, and I had the suspicion he spoke a bit too loud on purpose.

My only answer was a desperate grown and he nodded knowingly, still sporting the wide grin.

"C'mon, got somethin' for ya head. Fixin' breakfast, too…" He threw me a glance. "Well, I reckon ya couldn't keep it down anyway."

I gifted him with the best death-glare I could manage in my situation and slumped down against the counter, holding my head in my hands.

"Why didn't anybody tell me about this pain." I said darkly. "This is how I gonna die…"

Merle let out a laugh and shook his head.

"Don' be so dramatic, lil' one. It'll be over sooner as ya can utter 'Southern Comfort'."

"Southern Comfort."

That comment only made him laugh even more, before he patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"Jus' look at tha bright side of all o'this. Ya'll think twice before you're lying out next time, huh?"

I nodded.

"I'll never drink again, I swear to god."

"Yeah, right, drama queen. Now, take that."

He gave me a little white pill and a glass of water, before he ushered me towards the kitchen table, where I practically fell into a chair.

"Why does the world have to be so cruel?" I questioned after I followed his orders and emptied the glass.

He just shook his head in amusement and sat down across from me, instantly starting to munch on his breakfast.

In that moment Daryl scuffled into the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn.

"Mornin'"

With an amused glance at my miserable form he fetched himself some bacon on a plate and sat down next to me.

"Ya brought this on t'yerself. Jus' keep yer hands off the whiskey next time."

I snarled at him and hid my head under my arms, not wanting to face his reproaches. The brothers sneered at my reaction and I flipped them off, before I joined their laughter. Maybe the pain killers finally hit, but I started to feel a bit better.

"I don't know why I'm even friends with you guys."

They shared a look and shrugged in unison.

"'Cause we're fuckin' awesome, that's why!"

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**Yeah, the infamous Dixon cockyness... It'd be nice if some of you could tell me whether my English is worse in the un-beta'd chapter, and if it bugs you when you're reading?**

**And remember, every review makes my day better! I love all of you guys!**


	7. Confrontations

**Here I am again :) This time I have a very short, but also very eventful chapter for you! I hope you enjoy!**

**A very big Thanks to (who's also a very awesome person, btw), melkS and Cattra1992 for leaving a review last chapter. I love y'all for that!**

**Also a shoutout to everyone who favourited and follows this story, you are fabulous! **

* * *

I walked through the school gates the next morning, still a bit tired from the weekend, but luckily without my hangover. Merle had obviously been right about it: It was gone after the pills started to work.

"Hey!"

James suddenly walked beside me and smiled, and I nodded at him with a grin.

"What's up?"

We talked a bit about this and that, until James finally asked the question he'd obviously wanted to ask since the beginning.

"Everything alright? With you and Daryl I mean… He seemed to be really pissed off."

I nodded and sighed, pulling him aside into an empty hallway.

"He was. But not at me. So if you meet him today, I'd be careful."

His face went pale and he gulped. For a moment I felt sorry for making him feel bad, and I wondered briefly whether he was scared of Daryl. But then again, better be safe than sorry. The rage of a Dixon is legendary.

In Class I occupied myself with doodling on my work-sheets, instead of solving the math problems the teacher presented to us. There was no space for numbers and formulas in my head that day. Instead I hoped that Daryl wouldn't overdo it when he confronted James.  
The lesson went on for what felt like forever, but finally the bell released us all into the break. I hurried out of the room as quickly as possible, and went straight to our usual meeting place, where Dean and Rose already waited for us others. They greeted me with a nod and lit their cigarettes. The next one to arrive was James, and after him Daryl strolled towards us. When he noticed James, his face darkened and he stepped between us. But the expected outbreak didn't happen, at least not instantly. Instead the Dixon just calmly smoked a cigarette, while James and I shared nervous looks. When he had finished, he slowly turned towards him.

"What tha hell have ya been thinkin'?"

James shrugged.

"She was already drunk when I started talking to her. I just didn't think about it, everybody was drinking."

"Damn right, ya didn't think, asshole. Shouldn' be so surprised, ya never do!" Daryl spat, and stomped out the butt of his cigarette.

I stepped forward, just as the other boy started to defend himself.

"Look man, I'm sorry, okay? No need to insult me, can't we just talk this out?"

"Tha hell we can! Ya should've just stopped her from drinkin'!"

"I don't think it's his responsibility, Daryl." I chimed in, stepping between the two boys. "Just as it isn't yours. I'm fully capable of making my own decisions!"

"I fuckin' made it my responsibility, Sophia!" Both boys turned towards me, one with a relieved, the other with an infuriated expression. "Yer twelve, ya shouldn't be drinkin'!"

"Why do you even care?" I snapped, feeling anger rising in my chest. "I'm not a fucking kid anymore! And you're not my Dad! It's my decision!"

He towered over me, glaring down with furious eyes, but I didn't back down. I felt like I was right, and he was wrong. In retrospect I know of course, that it actually was the other way round, but perspective changes when you get older. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. His next words were calm and quiet, and I don't think anybody but me could hear them.

"I care, 'cause I swore to myself that ya'd have a normal childhood. That I'd take care of ya."

My eyes widened, and suddenly I felt bad for snapping at him. I must've been stupid not to see that he was just worried. What was I even thinking? I looked down and muttered an apology, but he just scoffed and turned away.

"It's alright. Told ya already, I'm not angry at ya."

In that moment the bell rang and our conversation was interrupted. Without saying another word we all just went to our individual classes. After that the topic was never picked up again, but James and Daryl never got along how they used to.

When I got home I grew anxious again. I had spent the whole weekend at the Dixon's house, forgetting for those few days about my Dad and the threat he was to me. My last hope was that he wasn't home yet and I clung to that hope for the whole way home. As I unlocked the door I could hear quiet snores coming from the living room and my heart dropped. He was home, after all. Now all I could hope for was that he had returned while I was at school, but hoping for that seemed to be foolish, regarding my luck. He'd probably been home since yesterday, which meant I was in for a lot of trouble. But for now he was asleep, granting me a few more safe moments. Taking care to be quiet, as not to wake him up, I got rid of my school-bag and my shoes, before tip-toeing to my room.

Two hours later he woke up. I had busied myself with homework; at least I had tried to do so, but other thoughts were occupying my mind constantly. First, I still felt bad about what happened between Daryl and James. They'd never been particularly close, but they had been friends without a doubt. And now, just because of me, this friendship was ruined. Secondly, I was scared of my dad. Of course that was a permanent state when I was at home, but what was new was that Daryl had moved out of the flat next to us. I didn't even want to know what that monster would do to me without the thread of one of the Dixons living next door.

But to my surprise he didn't do anything at first. He knocked almost gently at my door, before he entered and sat down on my bed. For a while both of us were quiet. I was stunned by his actions, too surprised to even say a word, but at the same time the hairs on my neck stood out and my body tensed in expectation of what was yet to come. Then he cleared his throat and knowing that I had to play by his rules I turned around to face him.

"Where exactly have you been last night?" he asked coldly, his voice calm, but threatening nonetheless.

I shrunk into my chair, but at the same time I felt anger building up through my fear. Why should I endure his torture? He was obviously not the father of the year, and I was certainly not the one who had to answer his questions. Hell, he was the one who disappeared for days without a warning! I was not the one who should be answering questions here.

"I could ask you the same about the week before."

I pouted, trying to look brave and intimidating, but my voice gave my true feelings away: It was thin and trembling, and a bit too high to count as normal. To be honest, I was surprised at my own bravery.  
A stunned silence followed my words and for a moment I was proud that I had shut him up. His eyes widened and he stared at me, while his slow mind processed my answer. Then anger appeared on his face, and he stood up so he towered over me.

"Say that again!"

My bravery faded and I looked down at my feet, slowly shaking my head. I wished nothing more than to repeat my words, but my fear was too strong.

"I thought so."

The tone of his voice made my heart tremble; it was as cold as ice. And then, as usual, he exploded.

"I always told ya: LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK!"

After that I can only remember pain and his loud voice yelling incomprehensible things at me, until a few hours later, when my aching body lay in my bed, tears rolling down my face. I remember feeling helpless, and I remember the strong wish for Daryl to be there with me. Again the feeling of betrayal crept up inside my chest, but I fought it down. He had every right to move in with his big brother. This had been his chance to get away from all the violence he too had to endure and he'd taken it. Who was I to deny him that right? It wasn't his fault that my father used the same violence against me that his father had used against him, and it certainly wasn't his responsibility to save me.  
Nonetheless he had done that often enough, without ever expecting any repayment from me. How ungrateful I was to expect him to stay, just because of my childish wish not to suffer alone? After all, he was still there for me. He did everything that he could to protect me, to enable me to live a normal life. At least as normal as possible.

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**I really hate writing any scenes with Sophia's Dad. He's an asshole and I feel like a sadist :'(  
But anyway, the next two chapters are nearly finished and, even though they still need a bit of editing, I'm pretty sure they'll be up soon (they won't be as short, I promise!)  
I'm also having another TWD story in my head, this time circling around Merle Dixon... we'll see if it gets published. **

**What did you guys think of the trailer? I loved it, especially the beginning with Daryl tapping against the window was badass! Also, I love that Carol seems to be even more badass, teaching those kids how to use knives and stuff ;) And horses *-***

**Whatever, please tell me what you think of this chapter! :) **


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